Grease pump assembly with pressure generating pump



V. G. KLEIN March 1, 1949.

GREASE PUMP ASSEMBLY WITH PRESSURE GENERATING PUMP 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1945 March 1,1949; v, KL 2,463,113

GREASE PJMP ASSEMBLY WITH PRESSURE GENERATING PUMP Filed Oct. 19, 1945 r 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 us i 3 Q 63 m l \QQR m Q 9 T I 0 O h. 0 s g; h g 0' 2 6 i Q Q LL. 1 S m N n m y I y J I a A i 1. m 8 'i P IL! 5 I 1 I g Q 5/ k i 4) n'm': "n.

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GREASE PUMP ASSEMBLY WITH PRESSURE GENERATING PUMP 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 19, 1945 Patented Mar. 1, 1949 GREASE PUMP ASSEMBLY WITH PRESSURE GENERATING PUMP Victor G. Klein, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Lincoln Engineering Company, St. Louis, Mo., a

corporation of Missouri Application October 19, 1945, Serial No. 623,357

Claims. (Cl. 222-258) This invention relates to portable pumps for viscous materials such as greases, caulkingcom- 4 pounds and the like requiring pressure priming, and with regard to certain more specific features, to a grease pump assembly with a pressure generating pump for the priming.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a portable pump, thematerial supply of which is carried with it and provided with priming pressure by means of compressed air, the latter being provided by operation of the pump for compressing the material; the provision of a pump of the class described in which the air pump components are in anadvantageous position to reduce bulk and complications in the structure; the provision of a pump of this class having convenient reloading means;

and the provision of an improved form of piston for producing the priming air pressure. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the structures hereinafter described, and'the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodiments of the invention:

Fig. 1 is. a longitudinal section of astructure embodying the invention;

\ Fig. 2 is an elevation taken from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to- Fig.1 showing an alternative position of parts; 1

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal section of a piston in forward movement;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing said piston in retractive movement;

Fig. 7 is'a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the parts in separated positions;

Fig. 8 is a cross section taken on line 8-8 in 4 Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a side elevation on a reduced scale of a material supply cylinder removed for filling purposes.

Similar reference characters indicate correspending parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown at numeral a pump body which, by means of a hollow bolt 3, is attached to a saddle member 5. Pivoted to the saddle member 5 at I is a lever 9 through which is threaded a jackscrew The bearing end I5 of this screw acts against a socket in the member 5.

A chain H which is held prisoner at l9 tothe end of the lever 9 is adapted to be removably interlocked at a suitable one of its links with an opposite slot 2| in body 5. By this means, the

pump may be made fast to any convenient member such as 23 for supporting iton a structure to which it has been transported, in this case a pipe.

To fasten it the chain is simply interlocked with the slot 2|, with minimum slack, and then the screw ii is turned to raise the lever 9 until the chain I! is tight on the member 23. To loosen and remove the device the lever 9 is loosened and the chain removed from the slot, 2|.

In the body is a pump cylinder in which reciprocates a plunger 25. This crosses a suction port 21 and compresses a charge through a check valve- 29 to an outlet line 3|. The end of line 3| is adapted to be placed in communication with, for example, a bearing to be lubricated.

Screwed into the body I is a lubricant container cylinder 33 in which slides a follower piston 35. On its front end this piston carries a hollow cup 31 in which, as indicated in Fig. 8, is a slot 39. The piston 35 slides upon a plunger stem 4| which, on the forward side of the piston 35, carries a pin 43 forming a key which may pass through the slot 39, the latter acting as a keyhole.

Thus the-rod 4| may be put into operative at-- tachment with the piston 35' by withdrawing it, so that the key 43 enters the keyhole 39, and then turning the rod. This locks the key 43 behind the keyhole 39 and allows the operator to push the piston 35 with the rod 4|. On the other hand, he may disconnect the rod II from the piston and push it forward, or push the piston back on the rod, or both. He may also, if necessary, with- Y draw the pistonfrom the cylinder 33 by means of the rod 4|. At its outer end the cylinder 33 carries a threaded head 45.

At its outer end the rod 4| is made hollow, as

indicated at 41, this hollow portion, when the rod is pushed in, communicating with the inside of the cylinder 33 (see port 49). Threaded on the hollow end of the rod 4| is a cap 5| which is flanged as shown at 53. This flange seats on a packing 55 and is held in place by means of a hollow nut 51 removably threaded to the cap 45. The member 5| is also hollow, as shown at 59, thus forming a continuous opening with 41. The outer end of the member 5| is threaded into a handle 6| "(-Fig. 7) which has a passage as shown at 63 communicating with the openings 59 and 41. By removing the nut 51, the rod 4| may be drawn back, if otherwise free.

The end of the opening 63 is threaded as shown' at 65 for receiving a hollow threaded member 61 around which is a swivel 69, packed to prevent leakage as shown at II. The hollow member 61 communicates with the swivel 69 which is also hollow. Attached to the swivel 69 is a flexible air hose Iii which at its opposite end is coupled to the outlet 13 of a reciprocating air pump I5.

Referring to Fig. 7, it will be seen that the thus freeing the handle 6|. Then the cap 45 may be unthreaded from the cylinder 33 and the rod 4| may be removed along with the piston 35. Or, as shown in Fig. 9, the cylinder 33 may be removed preparatory to filling. This permits reloading of the chamber 33 with grease after it has been exhausted. This 'may be done by filling in material from the open end of cylinder 33 while gradually drawing back the rod 4| and piston 35 (Fig. 9). For this purpose the nut 51'must be removed. The cylinder 33 is then again threaded to the pump. Then, by placing the key 43 within the keyhole 39 and turning it, the piston 35 may again be pushed into the cylinder 33 on top of the contained grease or the like, thus packing the latter in the cylinder 33. When suflicient packing has been obtained, the rod 4| is turned from the handle 6| to allow passage of the key 43 from the keyhole 39 so that although the piston 35 may be left in a position such as shown by dotted lines inFig. 1, the rod 4| may be pushed down into the grease in the cylinder until a position is reached in which the nut 51 may be fastened. Then the swivel 69 may again be attached to the handle 6|, regardless of the final angular position assumed by. the cylinder 33in tightening it. This is because the handle 6| is relatively rotary with stem 4| in the head 45.

Thus the advantage of the swivel connection 69 to the handle 6| is that the latter can always be rotated to the correctposition for receiving the connection 61. If this swivel connection were made with the head 45 or cylinder 33, an operator would not be assured of where the inlet for the y 4 tween the heads I93 and I99. Thus when the piston |9| is retracted with respect to the cylinder 9|, as indicated in Fig. 6, the packing is swivel connection would come to rest after making the threaded connection of the head 45.

The piston or plunger 25 is reciprocated by providing between it and a pump lever 11 a pivoted connection 19. f The pump lever 11 is pivotedat 8| to a rocker 83 which in turn is pivoted to the body at 85.. "Thus the plunger25 may be reciprocated from the handle 11. In order to lock the handle 11 in a convenient position when the pump is'n'ot inuse, it is provided witha hook 39 with which cooperates a'link 88, the latter being looped around the nut 51, thus holding the link prisoner and makingit available tobe swung in a position to cooperate with the hook 89 to the pump body Threaded into this body 31 is' a cylinder 9| on which 'is a head 93. A reciprocating piston rod 95 extends slidably through the head'93 and at 96 is pivoted to an extension I99 from the handle 11. On the inner end of the piston 'rod' 95 is a piston |9| which is detailed in Figs. 5 and 6. This piston includes a head I93 threaded to the'piston rod 95. The end of the piston rod shown at 91 is provided with a T- shaped port 99. Threaded to the end of this extension 91 is a nut I95 which holds in place a washer I91. Under the washer I91 is a second piston head I99. Between the heads I99 and I93 an inside diameter which is substantially larger than the contained part of the extension 91, so as to provide an air passage. The packing ring I is axially substantially shorter than the space be-' temporarily left behind until spacing occurs between it and the head I93. Since the head I93 has a very loose fit with respect to the cylinder 9|, air-may enter as shown by the arrow in Fig. 6, passing through the T-shaped port 99 to a. position beneath the piston |9|. Then when this piston is advanced as shown in Fig. 5 and the packing seats on the head I93, the air is trapped beneath the piston and is forced out throughan outlet I I5 in the body 81. This outlet is in communication with the flexible air hose 19 through a check valve 1 (Fig. 3) which allows flow from the port 5 to the hose 19 but not in the reverse direction. The air enters cylinder 15 through a port 92 in the head 93 (see Figs. 1 and 4).

Operation is as follows:

After loading the device as above described, and loosening the link 98 from the hook 89, the lever 11 may be reciprocated. This operates the plunger 25 to forces lubricant from the cylinder 33 out over the line 3|. At the same time the oscillating cylinder 9| is moved from a position such as shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 4. This action not only retracts the plunger 25 but also retracts the air piston I92, allowing air entering at the port 92 to follow the arrow in Fig. 6 to the compression. side of the piston I9|.

When the lever 11 is pushed toward the cylinder 33, scissor fashion, both the plunger 25 and the piston |9| are driven through compression strokes. The action of-the piston IN is to compress air in the cylinder 9| and deliver it through V the port 5, check valve 1, flexible air line 19,

Several advantages flow from thus coupling a reciprocating lubricant pump and its air priming pump. In the first place, no auxiliary compressor is required which is a convenience in the case of portable apparatus. In the second place, the amount of air available is in a proportion desired. For example, if at the start of an operation the amount of air behind the piston 35 is insufflcient to effect the most emcient'prime, this simply reduces the efficiency of operation of the plunger 25. But so'on the air Pump 15' builds up pressure until the priming pressure is increased to a point that the efliciency of this plunger 25 is' improved. Then the amount of material pumped per stroke from the cylinder 33 is increased. The air pump 15 is so designed as to capacity that suflicient air is provided under normal operating conditions to prime the plunger 25 for best continuous operation of the latter, without an over-supply of air. The air pump 15 should not be designed with such a large capacity 1 that an excess amount'of air is supplied for the purpose, because this unnecessarily increases the amount of work to be done in operating the handle 11.

At or near the time that the cylinder 33 is exhausted of lubricant, the parts associated with the head 45 may be uncoupled as shown-in Fig. 9 and the piston 35 withdrawn for reloading as above described. Also, the parts may be separated at will as shown in Fig. 7.

The invention is particularly'adapted to the application of lubricant of a heavy viscous nature. and of course also to similar materials such as caulking and other putty-like substances. While it could also be used with liquids, such materials contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described, a reciprocating material pump having an inlet and an outlet, a material supply cylinder attached to said pump over the inlet, an enclosing head on said cylinder, a coaxial and rotary rod in said cylinder and passing through said head, a follower piston slidable on said rod in said cylinder, said rod having a hollow portion for admitting air to the cylinder behind the follower piston, a swivel air connection with said rod on its outside portion, an air pump, an air connection outside said cylinder between said pump and said swivel connection, an operating lever, and means connecting said lever with said material pump and with said air pump'whereby both pumps may be operated by a common action of said lever.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a material pump body having an inlet and an outlet, a material supply cylinder extending from said body and communicating with the inlet, a plunger in the pump body reciprocating perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, a rocking operating lever linked to the body and said plunger and swinging substantially-in a plane including said material cylinder, a rocking air cylinder pivoted to said body, a piston reciprocating in said air cylinder and having a piston rod extending therefrom, means connecting said piston rod with said lever, said air cylinder lying between the lever and said material cylinder and being also movable substantially in a plane including said material cylinder, and a flexible air connection between said air cylinder and said material cylinder and located outside of the material cylinder.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a material pump body having an inlet and an outlet, a

material supply cylinder extending from said body and communicating with the inlet, a plunger in the pump body reciprocating perpendicular to the axis of said cylinder, a rocking operating lever linked to the body and said plunger and swinging in the plane of said material cylinder, a rocking air cylinder pivoted to said body. a piston reclprocating in said air cylinder and having a piston rod extending therefrom, means connecting said piston rod with said lever, said air cylinder lying between the lever and said material cylinder and being also movable in the plane of said material cylinder, an air connection between said air cylinder and said material cylinder outside the material cylinder, said air connection including a flexible air hose oupled to a rotary rod coaxial with the material cylinder and extending therefrom by means of a. swivel con-' nection between the hose and said rod outside said cylinder, and a follower piston in said material cylinder sliding on said rod.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a lubricating pump having an inlet and an outlet and including a reciprocating plunger, a lubricant supply cylinder communicating at one end with said inlet and having a head at its other end, a piston rod in said cylinder extending out of said cylinder through said head, a piston slidable on said rod within said cylinder, said rod being rotary in said head and adapted to be withdrawn from said cylinder through said head, a handle on the end of said rod outside of said cylinder, said handle and said end of the rod having an air passage therethrough in communication with the cylinder behind said piston when the rod is fully inserted in said cylinder, an air pump, a flexible air line, one end of which is connected to the outlet of said air pump and the other end of which is connected by means of a swivel air connection to the handle in communication with said air passage, and manually operable means for simulon the end of said rod outside of said cylinder,

said handle and said end of the rod having an air passage therethrough in communication with the cylinder behind said piston when the rod is fully inserted in said cylinder, an air pump, a flexible air line, one end of which is connected to the outlet of said air pump and the other end of which is connected by means of a swivel air connection to the handle in communication with said air passage, manually operable means for simultaneously operating said lubricant pump plunger and said air pump, and cooperable means on said rod and piston whereby said rod may be releasably connected to the piston" for driving said piston into said cylinder upon insertion of said rod into said cylinder.

VICTOR G. KLEIN.

REFERENCEQ CITED The following references are of recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Aug. 12. 1938 Number Number 

